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Phenethylammonium fluoride is conformally coated on a perovskite film via a simple thermal evaporation approach at low temperatures and normal pressure, passivating the defects and reinforcing the structural stability.

There is a lack of high-quality, large-scale, real-world evidence from patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), especially in China. It remains unclear whether efforts to improve the quality of care for mCRC would improve patient survival outcomes in real-world practice. On the basis of an intelligent big-data platform, we established a large-scale retrospective cohort of mCRC patients. We investigated the temporal changes in the systemic and local treatment (resection, ablation, or radiation to liver, lung, or extrahepatic and/or extrapulmonary metastases) patterns of mCRC, and whether these changes were associated with improved overall survival (OS) over time. Between July 2012 and December 2018, 3403 eligible patients were included in this research. The median OS was 42.8 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 40.7–46.6) for the entire cohort, 25.6 months (95% CI, 24.7–26.9) for those treated with systemic therapy only, and not reached (95% CI, 78.6 months–not reached) for those receiving local therapy. The utility rate of local therapy increased continuously from 37.9% in 2012–2014 to 46.9% in 2017–2018. A dramatic increase in the utility rate of either cetuximab or bevacizumab was observed since 2017 (39.9%, 43.2%, and 60.3% in 2012–2014, 2015–2016, and 2017–2018, respectively). Compared with 2012–2014, the OS of the entire population significantly improved in 2015–2016 (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.87 (95% CI, 0.78–0.99); P = 0.034), but not for patients receiving systemic therapy only (HR = 0.99 (95% CI, 0.86–1.14); P = 0.889), whereas an improved OS was found in 2015–2018 for both the entire population (HR = 0.75 (95% CI, 0.70–0.81); P

Background & Aims Neutrophils are one of the most abundant components in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and have been shown to play important roles in regulating disease progression. However, neutrophils are very short-lived cells in circulation, and mechanisms regulating their accumulation and functions in HCC are not yet fully understood. Methods Monocytes were purified from non-tumor or paired tumor tissues of patients with HCC, and their production of neutrophil-attracting chemokines was evaluated. Mechanisms regulating the expression of CXCL2/8 by tumor monocytes, and the role of tumor monocyte-derived chemokines and cytokines in modulating neutrophil accumulation and functions were studied with both ex vivo analyses and in vitro experiments. Results Monocyte-derived CXCL2 and CXCL8 were major factors in regulating the recruitment of neutrophils into tumor milieus. These chemokines, in addition to tumor-derived soluble factors, could inhibit apoptosis and sustain survival of neutrophils, thus leading to neutrophil accumulation in tumor tissues. Moreover, monocyte-derived TNF-α acted synergistically with tumor-derived soluble factors to induce the production of the pro-metastasis factor OSM by neutrophils. Further, the glycolytic switch in tumor-infiltrating monocytes mediated their production of CXCL2 and CXCL8 via the PFKFB3-NF-κB signaling pathway. Accordingly, levels of PFKFB3, CXCL2/CXCL8 production in monocytes and infiltration of OSM-producing neutrophils were positively correlated in human HCC tissues. Conclusions Our results unveiled a previously unappreciated link between monocytes and neutrophils in human HCC, identifying possible targets that could be therapeutically exploited in the future. Lay summary Neutrophils constitute a major but poorly understood component of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Herein, we unveil a novel mechanism by which metabolic switching in monocytes promotes the accumulation of neutrophils in the tumors of patients with HCC. Both monocyte-produced chemokines and signals from the tumor microenvironment promote the production of the pro-metastatic factor OSM by neutrophils. These data identify potential targets for immune-based anticancer therapies for HCC.

In order to scientifically understand the spatial distribution characteristics of hydrological hydrodynamics in river basins under different conditions (land use, rainfall), the flood process of Wan'an Small Watershed was simulated by coupling the distributed hydrological model MIKE SHE and the one-dimensional hydrodynamic model MIKE11, revealing the variation characteristics of hydrodynamic parameters at different scales of main ditch and branch ditch in the basin. The results show that: (1) Different rainfall types and underlying surface conditions changed the distribution of erosion dynamics in small watershed channels, and the erosion dynamic parameters of ditches with smaller cumulative rainfall and rain intensity decreased greater. (2) The erosion power of runoff in small watersheds is characterized by the change trend of large upstream, small downstream, large tributaries and small main ditches, and the changes in the upper and middle reaches are more drastic than those in the downstream. (3) The impact of land use change on heavy rainfall over short duration is small, and the variation of erosion dynamic parameters of main ditch is significantly greater than that of branch ditch. The research results can provide a scientific reference for the planning of soil and water conservation in the Yangtze River Basin.Keywords: MIKE model; Model simulation; hydrological hydrodynamics; rainfall types

Hyperpigmented skin diseases such as melasma, freckles, and melanosis usually mar the appearance of patients. Traditional herbal medicines are highly accepted in inhibiting skin pigmentation, with advantages of high efficiency, low cost, and low side effects. Selaginellin (SEL), one of the active compounds of selaginella, has been proved to be exhibit antineoplastic, antioxidant, antisenescence, and antiapoptosis activities. In this study, we found that SEL can inhibit melanogenesis in vitro and in vivo. A mechanism study found that SEL inhibits melanogenesis through inhibiting the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, then down-regulating the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and downstream genes tyrosinase (TYR) and tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TYRP2). UVB-activated paracrine function of fibroblasts and keratinocytes promotes melanogenesis of melanocytes. Interestingly, SEL antagonizes UVB-activated paracrine function of fibroblasts and keratinocytes. These findings indicate that SEL can be a potential whitening compound to inhibit melanogenesis.

Cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) is an essential regulator of immune cell functionality, but the mechanisms whereby it drives immune infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. In the present study, we studied the association with CDKN2A expression and immune invasion with the risk of developing HCC. A totally of 2207 different genes were found between HCC and adjacent liver tissues from TCGA and GEO databases. CDKN2A was highly expressed in HCC and associated with poorer overall survival and disease-free survival. Notably, CDKN2A expression was positively correlated with infiltrating levels into purity, B cell, CD+8 T cell, CD+4 T cell, macrophage, neutrophil, and dendritic cells in HCC. CDKN2A expression showed strong correlations between diverse immune marker sets in HCC. These findings suggest that CDKN2A expression potentially contributes to regulation of tumor-associated macrophages and can be used as a prognostic biomarker for determining prognosis and immune infiltration in HCC.

A new phenolic glycoside 1, together with two known compounds (2, 3), has been isolated from the ethanolic extract of Polygonatum sibiricum F. Delaroche. Its structure was elucidated as (2R)-syringylpropane-1,3-diol-1-O-β-D-glucopyranoside by spectroscopic data (1H NMR, 13C NMR, HSQC, HMBC, and HR-ESI-MS) and chemical evidence. In the in vitro assay, compound 1 displayed potent inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase with an IC50 value of 10.90 μM.

The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with microwave ablation (MWA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the Milan criteria in challenging locations.This study retrospectively investigated 201 consecutive patients with Milan criteria HCCs who underwent RFA (RFA group, n = 150) or MWA (MWA group, n = 51) between January 2012 and December 2016. Overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), local tumor control, and treatment-related complications were compared between the two groups. Prognostic factors were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model.Median follow-up duration was 36.7 months (range: 6.2-64.0 months). Cumulative 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 97.9%, 92.3%, and 80.6% in the MWA group and 96.4%, 87.4%, and 78.2% in the RFA group, respectively, (P = 0.450). Cumulative RFS rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 93.2%, 74.4%, and 63.7% in the MWA group and 80.3%, 57.3%, and 49.6% in the RFA group, respectively, (P = 0.097). Multivariate analyses showed that variable categories "patient age above 65 years" (P = 0.004) and "more than one tumor" (P = 0.004) were associated with overall mortality, and "patient age above 65 years" (P = 0.048) and "tumor size greater than 3 cm" (P = 0.009) were associated with inferior RFS. The incidences of major complications were not significantly different between the two groups (3.3% vs 3.9%, P = 0.843).RFA and MWA were associated with comparable safety and efficacy for HCC within the Milan criteria in challenging locations. Further study in a large, multi-center patient cohort is necessary to validate the results.

Background: The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of epidural analgesia usage vs. non-epidural labor on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Methods: We included 129 parturients who had vaginal deliveries in our hospital since December 1, 2018. The women were grouped into the epidural analgesia group or the non-epidural group. In order to investigate the effect of epidural analgesia on mother and newborn outcomes, we evaluated the differences in labor duration, the Apgar score of the newborn, and the overall outcome of the mother and newborn. Results: Compared to the non-epidural group, the durations of the first and second stages of labor in the analgesia group were significantly longer. In terms of neonatal outcome, the epidural analgesia group had a higher lactate value in the umbilical artery blood and higher pCO2 of umbilical vein blood of the neonates. However, there were no significant differences in Apgar Score, umbilical blood pH, base excess, or other umbilical cord blood gas analyses (pO2, HGB, SO2, HCO3 -) between epidural analgesia and non-epidural labor groups.Conclusion: The epidural analgesia prolongs the duration of the first and second stages of labor and affects the level of lactate in umbilical artery blood and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in umbilical vein blood. There was no significant effect on the basic characteristics of the mothers and neonates, suggesting that epidural analgesia delivery technology is safe, but it may have a particular short-term impact on neonatal outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Despite an increasing appreciation of the roles that myeloid cells play in tumor progression and therapy, challenges remain in interpreting the tumor-associated myeloid response balance and its translational value. We aimed to construct a simple and reliable myeloid signature for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Using in situ immunohistochemistry, we assessed the distribution of major myeloid subtypes in both peri- and intratumoral regions of HCC. A 2-feature-based, myeloid-specific prognostic signature, named the myeloid response score (MRS), was constructed using an L1-penalized Cox regression model based on data from a training subset (n = 244), a test subset (n = 244), and an independent internal (n = 341) and 2 external (n = 94; n = 254) cohorts. RESULTS: The MRS and the MRS-based nomograms displayed remarkable discriminatory power, accuracy, and clinical usefulness for predicting recurrence and patient survival, superior to current staging algorithms. Moreover, an increase in MRS was associated with a shift in the myeloid response balance from antitumor to protumor activities, accompanied by enhanced CD8(+) T cell exhaustion patterns. Additionally, we provide evidence that the MRS was associated with the efficacy of sorafenib treatment for recurrent HCC. CONCLUSION: We identified and validated a simple myeloid signature for HCC that showed remarkable prognostic potential and may serve as a basis for the stratification of HCC immune subtypes. FUNDING: This work was supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Science and Information Technology of Guangzhou, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation, and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation.

Bimodal growth and application of highly luminescent alloyed [ZnxCd1–xSeyS1–y] quantum dots (QDs) with controllable dual emission peaks in one-pot synthesis is investigated in this study. The bimodal-size-distributed alloyed [ZnxCd1–xSeyS1–y] QDs are grown from alloyed [ZnxCd1–xSey] seeds by introducing a monomer within the bimodal growth window during the seed growth. The synthesized bimodal alloyed [ZnxCd1–xSeyS1–y] QDs have a quantum yield as high as 95% under single wavelength excitation, where larger and smaller size groups individually contribute to 30% and 65%, respectively. The relative PL intensity and wavelength of the bimodal alloyed QDs can be adjusted by varying the growth time and the monomer concentrations. The dual-emitting QDs with color tunability can be directly applied to QD-converted light emitting diodes (LEDs), which need neither postmixing nor color-adjusting process to vary the color axis and the color rendering index. This one-pot synthetic approach not only solves the mixing pro...

High-performance composite Pd membranes were successfully fabricated using electroless plating with an EDTA-free bath. The plating started with employing the one-time addition of hydrazine. In the experiment, the hydrazine concentrations and plating bath volumes were systematically varied to optimize the plating. The optimum composite Pd membrane tube showed high H2 permeance of 4.4 × 10−3 mol/m2 s Pa0.5 and high selectivity of 1.6 × 104, but poor cycling stability. Then, a method of sequential addition of the hydrazine from the high to low concentrations was employed. The resultant membrane, about 6 μm thick, still exhibited a high selectivity of 6.8 × 104 as well as a much-improved plating yield and cycling stability level, this membrane outperformed the membrane made using the unmodified plating technique with the EDTA-contained bath. This result indicates the EDTA-free bath combined with the sequential addition of hydrazine is a simple, low-cost, yet effective method for preparing thin, dense composite Pd membranes featuring high hydrogen permeation flux and high thermal durability.

In this study, NiCoFe layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets with various composition ratios are synthesized via a simple electrodeposition method. The NiCoFe LDH prepared with a precursor molar ratio of Ni:Co:Fe = 1:2:0.1 shows the best performance with a specific capacity of 727 C g − 1 at 1 A g − 1, a high rate retention of 77% at 50 A g − 1, and a capacity retention of 87% after 10,000 cycles. The quick in-operando X-ray absorption study shows that the electrochemical activity of the various LDHs mainly originates from the change in the valence state of Ni ions, and the Fe ions improve the rate capability as well as the cycling stability. Furthermore, a solid-state energy storage device is fabricated using the NiCoFe-(1:2:0.1) LDH as the positive electrode, commercial activated carbon as the negative electrode, and PVA-KOH as the electrolyte. The device exhibits an energy density of 8.7 Wh kg−1 at 62.8 W kg−1 and 6.8 Wh kg−1 at 3139.2 W kg−1. The cycling stabilities of the device under folding and unfolding conditions are also evaluated, and the performances are found about the same, revealing great potential for flexible energy storage applications.

CdS/CdSe quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) were fabricated on two types of TiO2 photoanodes, namely nanosheets (NSs) and nanoparticles. The TiO2 NSs with high (001)-exposed facets were prepared via a hydrothermal method, while the TiO2 nanoparticles used the commercial Degussa P-25. It was found that the pore size, specific surface area, porosity, and electron transport properties of TiO2 NSs were generally superior to those of P-25. As a result, the TiO2 NS-based CdS/CdSe QDSSC has exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 4.42%, which corresponds to a 54% improvement in comparison with the P-25-based reference cell. This study provides an effective photoanode design using nanostructure approach to improve the performance of TiO2-based QDSSCs.

Haploids and doubled haploids are critical components of plant breeding. This review is focused on studies on haploids and double haploids inducted in cucurbits through in vitro pollination with irradiated pollen, unfertilized ovule/ovary culture, and anther/microspore culture during the last 30 years, as well as comprehensive analysis of the main factors of each process and comparison between chromosome doubling and ploidy identification methods, with special focus on the application of double haploids in plant breeding and genetics. This review identifies existing problems affecting the efficiency of androgenesis, gynogenesis, and parthenogenesis in cucurbit species. Donor plant genotypes and surrounding environments, developmental stages of explants, culture media, stress factors, and chromosome doubling and ploidy identification are compared at length and discussed as methodologies and protocols for androgenesis, gynogenesis, and parthenogenesis in haploid and double haploid production technologies.

A high-performance supercapacitor based on Ni(OH) 2 nanoflakes modified ZnO nanowires (NWs) was developed. The well-aligned ZnO NWs were synthesized by chemical bath deposition, followed by pulse electrodeposition of Ni(OH) 2 nanoflakes on the surface of ZnO NWs at 1 mA cm −2 current density. The effects of the pulse electrodeposition conditions were systematically investigated. Both the pulse time and relaxation time were found to affect the size and interspacing of the nanoflakes, while the deposition cycle number determines the thickness of the Ni(OH) 2 nanoflake shell. The ZnO/Ni(OH) 2 nanocomposite electrode fabricated under the optimal pulse electrodeposition conditions has exhibited a large specific capacitance of 1830 F g −1 , a high energy density of 51.5 Wh kg −1 , and a high power density of 9 kW kg −1 , revealing its potential application in electrochemical capacitors.

Nanohybrids which combine SWCNTs and Ni–Co–Mn layered double hydroxides are prepared by a facile hydrothermal process and investigated for the first time as electrode materials for hybrid energy storage devices. The nanohybrid made with a precursor weight ratio of SWCNTs and Ni–Co–Mn layered double hydroxide of 10:90 exhibits the highest capacity of 912 C g−1 at 1 A g−1, while the nanohybrid made with a precursor weight ratio of 30:70 shows the highest rate retention of 65% from 1 A g−1 (672 C g−1) to 50 A g−1 (435 C g−1) and the best capacity retention of 70% after 10000 cycles. Moreover, the charge transfer mechanism of the Ni–Co–Mn layered double hydroxides during charge/discharge is investigated through in-situ X-ray absorption near-edge spectra. To demonstrate practical hybrid energy storage applications, two nanohybrid//SWCNTs asymmetric energy storage devices are assembled and tested in pouch cell configuration. Their performances under folded condition are also evaluated, revealing great potential for flexible hybrid energy storage applications.

CdS/CdSe quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) were fabricated on two types of TiO2 photoanodes, namely nanosheets (NSs) and nanoparticles. The TiO2 NSs with high (001)-exposed facets were prepared via a hydrothermal method, while the TiO2 nanoparticles used the commercial Degussa P-25. It was found that the pore size, specific surface area, porosity, and electron transport properties of TiO2 NSs were generally superior to those of P-25. As a result, the TiO2 NS-based CdS/CdSe QDSSC has exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 4.42%, which corresponds to a 54% improvement in comparison with the P-25-based reference cell. This study provides an effective photoanode design using nanostructure approach to improve the performance of TiO2-based QDSSCs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s11671-018-2842-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

To explore the metabolic pathways and metabolites of luteoloside yielded by the isolated human intestinal bacteria from healthy human feces and characterize the β-d-glucosidase activity of the specific strain which catalyzed the breakdown of luteoloside, a preculture bacterial GAM broth and luteoloside were mixed incubated together for 48h. UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS was used for analysis of the metabolites of luteoloside in the corresponding supernatant fractions from fermentation. Aliquots of the reactive solutions were collected at different times and were measured with a microplate reader at 405nm to evaluate the enzymatic activity. Three metabolites (acetylated luteoloside, luteolin and deoxygenated luteolin) were detected in the fractions isolated from the bacterial samples. The variation of β-d-glucosidase activity inside the bacterium was in coincidence with the changes in luteolin generation or luteoloside degradation in different time periods.

Thin dense palladium (Pd) membranes (approximately 5 μm) were fabricated on rotating porous stainless steel supports using electroless plating. During electroless Pd plating, the rate of Pd deposition increased as the support rotation rate increased. Compared with conventional electroless plating methods, the proposed modified electroless plating using a support rotation technique yielded Pd membranes that had considerably more uniform and smooth surface morphology, which substantially enhanced the membrane stability. The membranes exhibited a hydrogen permeance as high as 78 m 3 /m 2 h bar 0.5 (3.0×10 −3 mol/m 2 s Pa 0.5 ) and an ideal permselectivity exceeding 400 when the pressure difference was 4 bar and the temperature was 400 °C. Moreover, the membranes were stable during long-term temperature cycling performed between room temperature and 400 °C over a period of 350 h. These results indicated that the electroless plating combined with support rotation process was a simple, effective method for preparing thin dense Pd membranes featuring high hydrogen permeation flux and high thermal durability.

To identify the effect of pregnancy induced hypertension on neonatal outcomes in early and moderate preterm infants of gestational age less than 34 weeks.Prospectively collected data in 773 premature deliveries less than 34 weeks from 10 centers in China between July 2014 and July 2016 were analyzed in this cohort study. Univariate and Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to exam the effect of pregnancy induced hypertension on neonatal outcomes, including mortality to discharge, intrauterine growth restriction, severe brain injury, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, early onset of sepsis and retinopathy of prematurity.The incidence of PIH in this cohort was 18.4%. Women with PIH tended to have a higher cesarean delivery rate (78.2% vs 40.9%, P 0.001). More tocolytics and magnesium sulfate were used in PIH women (72.5% vs 48.7%, P 0.001; 59.2% vs 34.7%, P 0.001). Mean birth weight was lower in infants of PIH mothers than infants of non-PIH mothers (1522.1 ± 348.8 g vs 1683.4 ± 345.3, P 0.001). In multivariate regression models, PIH was associated with increased risk of IUGR (OR 8.402; 95% CI 4.350-16.227) and lower odds of NRDS (OR 0.526; 95% CI 0.332-0.853).Preterm infants less than 34 weeks born to PIH women had a higher risk of intrauterine growth restriction and lower birth weight. PIH warrants more intensive interventions to prevent relevant infant morbidities.

In this study, defect-free zinc blende GaAs nanowires on Si (111) by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth are systematically studied through Au-assisted vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method. The morphology, density, and crystal structure of GaAs nanowires were investigated as a function of substrate temperature, growth time, and As/Ga flux ratio during MBE growth, as well as the thickness, annealing time, and annealing temperature of Au film using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), cathodoluminescence (CL), and Raman spectroscopy. When the As/Ga flux ratio is fixed at 25 and the growth temperature at 540 °C, the GaAs nanowires exhibit a defect-free zinc blende structure with uniform and straight morphology. According to the characteristics of GaAs nanowires grown under varied conditions, a growth mechanism for defect-free zinc blende GaAs nanowires via Au-assisted vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method is proposed. Finally, doping by Si and Be of nanowires is investigated. The results of doping lead to GaAs nanowires processing n-type and p-type semiconductor properties and reduced electrical resistivity. This study of defect-free zinc blende GaAs nanowire growth should be of assistance in further growth and applications studies of complex III-V group nanostructures.

On the basis of analysis in Zhejiang, this paper uses the trend fitting method, the quadratic exponential smoothing model and multiple linear regression and grey GM (1, 1) portfolio model to forecast electricity consumption in 2012-2020 in Zhejiang, and compare the various methods of prediction accuracy.

The transition metal hydroxides are well-known electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs) due to their high theoretical specific capacitances. Nevertheless, low electronic conductivity of those hydroxides limits their real applications. To improve the electronic conductivity, ternary NiCoFe layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with different composition ratios were synthesized via a simple electrodeposition method in this study. The microstructure and morphology of the as-prepared NiCoFe LDH samples were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Comparing with the binary NiCo LDHs, the ternary NiCoFe LDHs show a different nanosheet structure which is beneficial to provide high specific surface area. Among these samples, the best NiCoFe LDH has performed a specific capacitance of ~ 950 F/g at 5 mV/s and a high rate retention of ~50 % at 500 mV/s, owing to the improvement in conductivity which was mainly attributed to the addition of Fe ions. The electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) of all LDH samples were also measured and analyzed. This finding reveals the possibility of exploring the NiCoFe LDH as an effective electrode material for high-performance SCs.

A layered double hydroxide (LDH) layer was grown directly on a porous stainless steel (PSS) surface to reduce the pore opening of the PSS and to be a middle layer retarding Pd/Fe interdiffusion. A thin Pd film (∼7.85 μm) was plated on the modified PSS tube by an electroless plating method. A helium leak test proved that the thin Pd on the LDH-modified PSS substrate was free of defects. The membrane had a H2 flux of 28–36 m3/(m2 h) and H2/He selectivity larger than 2000 at a pressure difference of 1 bar. Thermal cycling between room temperature and 673 K was performed and showed that the membrane exhibited good permeance and selectivity. Long-term evaluation (1500 h) of the membrane at 673 K showed static results of H2 flux (∼30 m3/(m2 h)) and H2/He selectivity (∼2000) over the 1500 h test period.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been substantially researched as a prospective candidate for renewable energy technology, and a variety of materials alternative to corroding and high-cost Pt have been utilized as counter electrodes for these cells. In this article, we report on the fabrication and photovoltaic characteristics of DSSCs with vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT)-based DSSC counter electrodes. Our DSSCs utilized three different counter electrodes with CNTs in planar (P-CNT) and micro-array patterned (MA-CNT) configurations and platinum (Pt)-film coated Si as the control sample. The CNTs were grown in planar and micro-array patterned configurations directly on highly doped n-type silicon substrates by a hot-filament chemical vapor deposition process. In combination with an N-719 dye-sensitized titanium dioxide (TiO2) coated onto a fluorine doped tin oxide coated glass substrate as the photoanode and an iodide-based electrolyte, our P-CNT as the counter electrode showed a very high photocurrent density (Jsc) of 26.3 mA/cm2 and a power conversion efficiency (η) of 7.13% when compared to platinum's JSC of 20.6 mA/cm2 and η of 6.29%. The photovoltaic behavior of the micro-array patterned CNTs was also characterized, providing a better understanding of their electrocatalytic performance for the DSSCs. Overall, this work demonstrates the superior and improved photovoltaic performance of the vertically-aligned CNTs as the DSSC counter electrode, which makes them a stronger alternative to platinum counter electrodes.